Stephen Barrowfoot Coalminer

Murton Colliery near Seaham Durham by John Wilson Carmichael 1843

Elizabeth Beresford is almost certainly the mother of John Beresford, my step-2xgreat grandfather. I wrote that I would return to Elizabeth Beresford's origins. Of certain information there is little more to say, however, than noting that the Marriage Certificate for her marriage to William Fagan gives her father as Stephen Beresford, Coal Miner. Also, her census records give her place of birth as Tanfield, Durham and year of birth about 1821-1824. This is the best information I have for her origins, assuming she is giving the correct information on these documents.

But I do want to sketch some preliminary data, including a possible baptismal record for Elizabeth, and some sense of the itinerant life of one coal-mining family in particular. In short, Elizabeth Beresford is probably the daughter of Stephen Barrowfoot and Elizabeth Stevenson, and Stephen Barrowfoot is possibly the son of Ralph Barrafoot and Ann Gibson.

In this part of the country, the occupation of coal miner is pretty common, but not so the name Stephen Beresford - even taking into account the variant spellings observed through the records for son, John: Beresford, Berresford, Barresford, and even Barrowford. Other related names appear to be Berisford, Barefoot and Barrowfoot.

On the durhamrecordsonline.com search engine, a good way to search for these variants is "B%r%fo%", where the % is a wildcard for any number of characters (including zero). Earlier records appear to have names such as Barrowfoot, while later ones are Beresford. This may indicate that the Barrowfoots died out to be replaced by Beresfords from outside the region. But it may also indicate that the name changed over time.

In concert with the name "Stephen", the search yields a limited number of hits. A few more hits arise if we enter "Stephen" as father. The results are consistent with very few individuals sharing the name in the Durham/Northumberland area, and only one in the early decades of the nineteenth century. The caveat here, of course, is that as more records become available, we may uncover more Stephen Beresfords (or B%r%fords).

There are no Beresfords baptized in Tanfield around the time of Elizabeth's birth. It is possible that our Elizabeth was not baptized at the parish church, St. Margaret's. However, if she was, a likely (or at least possible) record for Elizabeth's baptism might be that found on durhamrecordsonline.com for Ann and Elizabeth Barrowfoot baptized in Tanfield, Durham in 1821. Bishops' Transcripts of these Tanfield parish baptisms are available for browsing during this time period (1820s) at familysearch.org. Durham Diocese Bishop's Transcripts, 1639-1919, Durham, Tanfield, image 351/649 has:
       4 Mar 1821  Ann D[aughte]r of Stephen & Elizabeth Barrowfoot  Collier
       4 Mar 1821  Elizabeth D[aughte]r of Stephen & Elizabeth Barrowfoot   Collier

Ann and Elizabeth might be twins, or else the older of the two had missed out on being baptized previously. More on Ann below. Barrowfoot is similar to Barrowford, which you might remember is how the name of Elizabeth's son, John Beresford, was rendered in the 1851 census. Also in Tanfield, there is this 1818 marriage, presumably, of the parents of Ann and Elizabeth.
       7 Sep 1818 Stephen Barrowfoot married Elizabeth Stevenson,
       both of this chapelry, by banns

And just as there is the baptism of an Elizabeth Barrowfoot in Tanfield, followed by the marriage of our Elizabeth Beresford, whose married census returns give Tanfield as a place of birth, so too for Ann. One of the records found in a search of durhamrecordsonline.com was the following marriage:
       St Paul's Gateshead (Church of England)
       22 August 1842
       Joseph Bestman (bachelor, pitman), full age, of Winlaton, son of Robert Bestford
       (pitman) married Ann Beresford (spinster), full age, of Winlaton, daughter of
       Stephen Beresford (pitman)

This corresponds to BMD Marriage Index:
       Sep1842 Gateshead 24 119 Joseph Bestford and Ann Bereford [sic]

This 1842 marriage for Joseph Bestford is the only one in this name until 1867 according to FreeBMD. The 1861 England Census has this household at Ernest Place, Durham, St Giles:
       Joseph Bestford  Head Mar 42 Coalminer  Newcastle on Tyne St Andrew
       Ann       Do          Wife  Mar 40                   Durham, Tanfield
       Joseph   Do         Son            6                        Do       Lanchester
       Stephen Do         Son            3                        Do       Usworth
       Robert   Do         Son            1                        Do       Washington

Assuming that this census record is for the same couple as the marriage, one wonders what had become of the children born between 1842 and 1855. But notice especially that for Ann and Elizabeth, we have baptisms in the name of Barrowfoot, both daughters of Stephen, Collier, followed by marriages for Ann Beresford/Bereford (1842 to Joseph Bestford) and Elizabeth Beresford (1849 to William Fagan), in each case daughter of Stephen Beresford, Pitman or Coal Miner respectively. Subsequently in census returns, Ann Bestford and Elizabeth Fagan both give Tanfield, Durham as their birthplace, and ages consistent with the baptisms.

Thus I strongly suspect these baptism and marriage records as belonging to the two sisters, the one of which is the mother of John Beresford. The following are possible siblings:
       2 Sep 1824 baptized at the Lying In Hospital, St John's parish,
       Newcastle upon Tyne: Stephen, Son of Stephen & Elizth Barrowfoot Pitman
       of Byker, Northumberland

       18 Jan 1828 baptized at the Chester Workhouse, Chester-le-Street,
       Margaret and Matthew, Daughter and Son of Stephen & Elizabeth Barrafoot
       Pauper.

       16 Jun 1828 baptized at Gateshead, Durham,
       Mary, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth Barrowfoot of Gateshead, Collier

If these are all the same family, I'm thinking Margaret and Matthew arrived at the workhouse unbaptized during the winter 1827/28, and their mother Elizabeth pregnant. By June, Stephen was back in work, and daughter Mary was born in Gateshead. From Tanfield to Newcastle to Chester-le-Street to Gateshead, the births illustrate economically marginal and itinerant lives.

England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 has:
       7 Jul 1833 at Lanchester, Durham, Stephen Barasford and Jane Simpson

In the 1851 England Census at Collierley and Pontop, there is:
       Ann Barrasford         Head  Wid  81  Pauper   Durham, S Shields
       Stephen Barrasford  Son    Mar  57  Collier        Do      Plisemouth [Plawsworth]
       Jane            Do         Wife   Mar  51                    Do     Medomsley

Of this household, durhamrecordsonline.com has the burial:
       1851 at Pontop for Ann Barrasford age 81

BMD Birth Index has the death registration indexes for:
       Jane Barrasford Jun1857 Gateshead 10a 296
       Stephen Beresford Sep1866 Gateshead 10a 359 age:76

For the latter, England, Select Deaths and Burials 1538-1991, has:
       Stephen Beresford Gateshead, Durham 10 Aug 1866 aged 76

The age at death of 76 in 1866 would indicate a birth in about 1790, while the census age of 57 in 1851 calculates to about 1794. During this period (and presumably records are incomplete), I can find only one baptism record for Stephen Beresford/Barrowfoot on durhamrecordsonline.com:
       Stephen Barrafoot [born] Feb 12 1797 [bapt. May 23 1798] 1st Son of
       Ralph Barrafoot of Chester Poor house Pitmn Native of Lamesley by
       his wife Ann Gibson native of South Shields.

This record - apart from the name - has two things in its favor. First, Chester-le-Street is close to Plawsworth, and second, Ann Gibson's nativity in South Shields matches that of the 81-year-old Ann Barrasford in the 1851 census. However, the date of birth doesn't match Stephen's death record or census return very well.

Ralph Barrafoot and Ann Gibson had two daughters Ann, both of whom died young. Ann daughter of Ralph Barfoot and Ann Gibson born  at Iveston in 24 Nov 1800 and baptized 28 Dec 1800 at Lanchester; and Ann daughter of Ralph Barfoot and Ann Gibson born at Iveston 22 Aug 1804 and baptized at Lanchester 30 Sep 1804, and is probably the Ann Barrowfoot buried at Gateshead in 1809, aged 5.

In looking for the marriage of Ralph Barrafoot and Ann Gibson, I found this in England, Select Marriages 1538-1973:
       27 April 1796 at Chester-le-Street Stephen Barrass and Ann Gibson

Which suggests another spelling variant; perhaps Barras (or Barrows) was a nickname for Barrowfoot. Using Stephen Barrass as a search term yielded this 1841 England Census at Winlaton:
       Stephen Barras  44  Miner  Yes [born in Durham]
       Jane         do      49              Y
       Ann         do        21              Y
       Elizth      do        19              Y
       Margaret do       16              Y
       Stephen   do      13             No
       Matthew  do       12             No

The first names are consistent with the names discovered above. Mary, baptized in Gateshead, is missing from this list. The ages are consistent with those discovered above except that Stephen (the son) and Margaret are transposed in the census list. It further suggests that Ann and Elizabeth are not twins. Stephen, the father, has an age which is correct for the baptism in 1798 of the son of Ralph Barrafoot/Barrass and Ann Gibson.

The 1861 England Census at Brancepeth Colliery has as lodgers of William and Ann Love:
       Stephen Barrass  Lodger  Widr  71  Coal Miner  [Durham] Chester le St
       Sam Smith              do      Mar   35        do                do        Stanhope
       Margaret do            do      Mar   36                            do        Bp Auckland

This is possibly Stephen Barrowfoot and his daughter and son-in-law. BMD Marriage Index has the names Samuel Smith and Margaret Beresford on the same page for Dec1849 Gateshead 24 171, while durhamrecordsonline.com have the names associated with each other on their index, and with Stephen Beresford as father of the bride.

If these are the same family as above, then by 1871 Samuel and Margaret Smith are living as head of household and wife at Cottage Row, New Durham, and, as we have seen, Stephen had died at Gateshead in 1866. The given birthplace on the census for Margaret Smith, Bishop Auckland, is some way from the baptismal records for Stephen Barrowfoot's family, but this may only be more evidence of how far Stephen had to travel to find work in the late 1820s.

And finally, we can follow the documentation for Stephen Barrowfoot baptized at Byker Hill. There are many records for him; he married three times, and lived long. His death certificate records (BMD Death Index: Stephen Barrasford Jun1917 Easington 10a 500 age:95) an age of 95 in 1917, although baptized at the Lying In Hospital in 1824, he was more likely 93 years old.

BMD Marriage Index has marriages of:
       Stephen Barrisford and Mary Punshon Mar1849 Durham 24 66
       Stephen Beresford and Philippa Bray Dec1890 Gateshead 10a 247
       Stephen Barrasford and Mary Ann Taylor Dec1908 Easington 10a 765
(the latter is also available as a parish record from durhamrecordsonline, and confirms the groom's father as Stephen Barrasford)

Family histories and census returns show these to be all the same person. The 1851 Census at South Hetton, Haswell, Durham has what may be the young family:
       Stephen Barsford  Head  Mar  23  [Coal miner]   Newcastle
       Mary        Do         Wife   Mar  21                         Lamesley
       William    Do          Son              1                         St Gilesgate

More certainly, the 1861 England Census at South Moor, Greencroft, Durham has:
       Stephen Beresford  Head  Mar  43  Coal Miner     Newcastle on Tyne
       Mary          Do         Wife  Mar  30                          Burley Durham
       William      Do         Son   Un    11                          St Giles  Do
       Elizabeth    Do        Daur  Un   6                            Heddon-on-the-Wall
                                                                                       Northumberland
       Matthew     Do        Son   Un    3                           Walbottle Northumberland
       Margaret    Do        Daur  Un    1                           Lanchester Durham

From the places of birth of their children Mary and Stephen's family appears to have moved around as much as his parents'. And they continued to do so, as we can see by the 1881 England Census at Chopwell, Durham:
       Stephen Baresford  Head  Mar  59   Coal Miner     Northd Byker Hill
       Mary          Do         Wife   Mar   56  Wife                Durham Burtly
       Matthew    Do          Son   Unm  23  Coal Miner     Northd Walbottle
       Mary A      Do          Daur  Unm  17                              Do   Oakenshaw
       Isabella      Do         Daur  Unm  15                              Do   Coopen
       Jane           Do         Daur  Unm 12                          Durham New Durham
[new page]
       Stephen Baresford  Son              5                          Durham North Pitt
       Elizabeth Hodgson  Serv  Unm  15                              Do     Heathley

In 1891 at 24 Thomas Street, Edmondsley, Durham having remarried:
       Stephen Barresford  Head  Mar  69  Coal Miner                Northd Bicker Hill
       Philippa       Do        Wife  Mar  66                                    Cornwall Len Tae
[new page]
       Stephen Baresford   Son   Unm  15  Coal Miner (Driver)  Durham Lanchester

In 1901 at 2 Johnson Terrace, Shotton, Durham:
       Stephen Beresford  Head  M  79  Retired Coal Miner     Durham Tanfield
       Philippa     Do          Wife  M   77                                      Cornwall St Hews

And in 1911, still at 2 Johnson Terrace, having remarried again:
       Stephen Barrasford  Head  90  Married  Retired Miner Hewer
                                                                                               Northumberland Nafaton
       Mary Barrasford       Wife  60  Married                            Lancashire Radcliffe

The 1911 census form is signed Stephen Barrasford, which would indicate his preferred spelling. It also confirms they had been married for two years (and had no children together). Some of the descendants go by Beresford and others by Barrasford. The sons William and Matthew each name a child Stephen Stephenson (born 1870) and Stephen Stephenson (born 1893) respectively, presumably after Elizabeth Stevenson paternal grandmother of William and Matthew.

Thus, I have baptisms of six children of Stephen and Elizabeth Barrowfoot (or some phonetic variant) between 1821 and 1828. These are consistent with there being only one couple with those names. I have marriages of four children of father Stephen Beresfords (or some phonetic variant) with first names that match the baptisms (Ann, Elizabeth, Stephen and Margaret). Three of these are also linked by the name Stephenson/Stevenson; Ann and Elizabeth would appear to be children of Stephen Barrowfoot and Elizabeth Stevenson, while Stephen Barrasford (junior) has grandchildren with Stephenson as a given name.

Then there is the 1841 Census of the Barras family which has five of the six given names of the Stephen and Elizabeth Barrowfoot children. And the association of Ralph Barrowfoot and Ralph Barras as husband of Ann Gibson.

My hypothesis runs:
       Ralph Barrowfoot/Barrass married Ann Gibson 1796 and had three children.
       Ann died in 1851 aged 81:
              Stephen   1797-1866
              Ann         1800- ?      (obviously died before 1804)
              Ann         1804-1809

       Stephen Barrowfoot married 1818 Elizabeth Stephenson and had six children.
       Elizabeth must have died between 1828 and 1833:
              Ann         1819-1865 married 1842 Joseph Bestford
              Elizabeth 1821-?      married 1849 William Fagan
              Stephen   1824-1917 married 1849 Mary Punshon,
                                                              1890 Philippa Bray,
                                                              1908 Mary Taylor
              Margaret 1826- ?      married 1849 Samuel Smith
              Matthew  1827- ?
              Mary       1828- ?
       Stephen Barrowfoot as Barasford married 1833 Jane Simpson. They had no children,
       but show up in the 1841 census as Barras. Jane died in 1857 and Stephen in 1866.

       Elizabeth Barrowfoot as Berresford had a son out of wedlock,
       father possibly John Caldcleugh.
              John        1845-1912 married Mary Ann Kennett
       Elizabeth Barrowfoot as Beresford married 1849 William Fagan. They had no children.
       William Fagan died in 1875.

Evaluate the data for yourself, and, should you pass it on, remember to qualify it as my hypothesis.

The Attorney's Clerk

Framwellgate Bridge, Durham (illustration from George Gilbert, Cathedral Cities of England 1905)])

The previous post ended with a mystery. John Beresford, my step-2xgreat grandfather, was born at the Crossgate Union Workhouse, Durham in 1845 to unwed mother Elizabeth Beresford. On the birth certificate there are places for father's name and father's rank or profession; each of them is left blank. On his marriage certificate there are also places for father's name and father's rank or profession; and they are given as John Beresford deceased, Attorney's Clerk. So, there is a contradiction betwwen these records.

It is understandable that our John Beresford might want to invent a fictitious father to avoid embarrassment. John is a common enough name that the fiction might never be discovered. But why Attorney's Clerk? This is an uncommon occupation, and I wonder why it came into John's mind when he had to choose an occupation for a father he never knew. Possibly he just pulled this occupation out of thin air; it just came to mind. Another possibility is that there was an Attorney's Clerk who he knew, perhaps a man who treated him as a father - although he did, of course, have a step-father, William Fagan. But just maybe, his father really was an Attorney's Clerk named John.

For all their errors, ancient and modern, census records really are quite amazing. I tend to cite them in household units, but the enumerator books contain household upon household, and one can obtain a view of the neighborhood by examining a series of records around the household of particular interest. In the previous post I cited the 1851 enumeration of John, his mother and step-father (as William and Elizabeth Faigan and John Barrowford). However, in reviewing the whole page, the occupation of Attorney's Clerk just jumped out at me! Here is the household in question; it is only three schedules away from the Faigans.

1851 England Census at Framwellgate, Durham:
       Thomas Caldcleugh  Head  Widr 66  Joiner Journeyman  Durham Durham Elvet
       John          Do           Son    U      26  Attorney's Clerk           Do     Framwellgate
       Cathrine    Do           Daur   U      22                                      Do             Do
       Sarah         Do          Niece          11                                      Do              Do

and the schedule next to the Faigans on the other side:
       Isabella Caldcleugh  Head  U     36   Laundress               Durham Framwellgate
       Fredrick     Do           Son           15  Grocers App                  Do           Do
[new page]
       Sarah Caldcleugh     Daur          11  Scholar                     Durham Framwellgate

The Fagans (as other documents attest) and Caldcleughs knew each other as more than neighbors. If you look back at the marriage certificate for William Fagan and Elizabeth Beresford (about 18 months previously, 27 Oct 1849), you may notice that one of the witnesses to the marriage is Cathrine Caldcleugh. I am not sure of the pronunciation, but I suspect it must be something like "Colcluff".

During the next decades the Fagans and Caldcleughs moved apart. By 1861, the Fagans are living at Claypath, Durham, while there are still Caldcleughs at Framwellgate. Frederick Caldcleugh, 26, is a "Cabinet Maker employing 1 boy", with a wife and three children. In the same household, Frederick's uncle John Caldcleugh, 36, is a "Solicitor's Managing Cl[erk]".

In 1871, John Caldcleugh, 46, "Solicitor's Clerk", is still at Framwellgate, now married to Hannah Webster, and with their son, daughter and father-in-law, By 1881, they had moved to Elvet at which time he was still a "Solicitor's Clerk". By 1891, still in Elvet he was County Court Clerk. He died 27 January 1894, a county court clerk, aged 68.

The evidence for paternity is circumstantial. But I don't think that John Beresford's choice of occupation for his father on his marriage certificate arose by chance. John Caldcleugh may have been a father figure in John Beresford's life, and the latter may have remembered his occupation of Attorney's Clerk. But John Beresford must have had a father, and John Caldcleugh must be a person of interest to be ruled in or out.

John Caldcleugh had two children by Hannah Webster. His daughter Mary Isabella (1869-1923) died unmarried. His son Thomas Henry (1866-1958) married Ellen Atkinson (1871-1959). They had two daughters: Ruth, who died in infancy 1912; and Mary (1908-?), who married Cyril Edward Stabler (1903-1965). Cyril and Mary Stabler had a daughter, who is probably still living.

Why do I mention John Caldcleugh's known descendants? In the absence of documentary evidence, it is possible that John Beresford's ancestry might be solved by DNA analysis. As the price of genealogical DNA sequencing comes down we might yet find a genetic link (or else rule one out) between Beresford and Caldcleugh descendants. Alas, as a step-descendant I have none of John Beresford's DNA, although I would gladly coordinate such a project. Contact me if you're interested.

The Boy Beresford and His Mother

from Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, Vol 2. (1851)

Investigative journalist Henry Mayhew published three volumes of commentary on street labor in mid-Victorian Britain, with interviews of some of the workers. To hear the voice of one London Scavenger (Mayhew renders their accents in his text) try London Labour and the London Poor (1851), pages 224-226. Among the workers, there were those who kept the city clean. Any big city generates refuse. In the nineteenth century, add horse manure to the mix, and the task of keeping the mess under control was considerable. Those with the unenviable occupation of scavenger scraped the streets clean with shovels and brooms, work that was repetitive, unskilled, and with little room for advancement. They worked in gangs, so perhaps one could rise to the position of a foreman of sorts. At least their weekly 12 shillings or so, kept them in cheap lodgings and food.

In this post, see two sets of records, one already established as belonging to John Beresford, and some earlier ones, related to each other, which I believe belong to the same John Beresford. And the Scavenger? Well read on, as move from Mayhew's London to Durham.

John Beresford, my step-2xgreat grandfather, has uncertain origins, but he was certainly from Durham. This post contains some repetition of information previously posted on this blog, but also previously unposted census returns which may provide some of his earlier history, and a marriage to direct future research on his family of origin.

Clearly belonging to John Beresford we have the following: marriage certificate (1867), census returns from 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1911, and death registration (1912).

Marriage
BMD Marriage Index
       John Beresford and Mary Ann Kennett Dec 1867 Sunderland 10a 581

GRO Copy
       Marriage Solemnized at the Parish Church in the [...illegible...] of Hendon
       Bishopwearmouth in the County of Durham.
       When Married:                          Oct 2 1867
       Name and Surname:                 John Beresford
                                                         Mary Ann Kennett
       Age:                                          22
                                                         20
       Condition:                                  Bachelor
                                                         Spinster
       Rank or Profession:                   Mariner
                                                         [left blank]
       Residence at time of marriage: 22 Lodge Terrace
                                                        3 Lodge Terrace
       Father's name and surname:    John Beresford
                                                        William Kennett
       Rank or Profession of Father:   Attorney's Clerk
                                                        Coast Guard
       Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the
       Established Church, by Superintendant Registrar Certificate by me,
              Alexr Maclerman Curate
       This Marriage was solemnized between us,
              John Beresford
              Mary Ann Kennett
       in the Presence of us,
              R. W. Gowland
              Mahala Kennett

Census Data
1871 England Census John Beresford in his own household at 11 Magdalene Street, St. Giles, Durham, Durham.
       John Beresford   Head              Mar  25    Porter          Durham City
       Mary Ann do       Wife                Mar  23                       Essex, Shoeburyness
       Ann E       do       daur                         2                        Durham, Sunderland
       Rosetta E  do      daur                       11 mo                      do    , City
       William Kennett   Father-in-law  Mar  52    Labourer     Kent, Monkton
       Ann          do       Mother-in-law Mar  54                        Devonshire, Budleigh
       Rosetta M do      Sister-in-law            13                       Yorks., Kettleness
[Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 4967; Folio: 46; Page: 42; GSU roll: 847430]

1881 England Census John Beresford in his own household at 30 Duke Street, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Durham.
       John Beresford   Head  [Mar]  36  Seaman    Durham City
       Mary Ann do       Wife      do    33                   Shoeburyness, Essex
       Annie E    do       Daur             12  Scholar     Durham, Sunderland
       Minnie K  do         do                 6       do             do    , Langlemoor
       Ada M      do         do                4       do              do    , Sunderland
       William A  do       Son                2                        do    , Brandon
       Thomas K do        do                 5 mos                 do    , Hendon
[Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 5005; Folio: 99; Page: 71; GSU roll: 1342205]

Occupational Data
Bullmer’s Directory of North Yorkshire (1890), p.270
       Beresford John, constable, Board of Trade; h 11 Gloucester street [Middlesbrough] 
And also p.265:                
       GOVERNMENT OFFICES, &C.
       Board of Trade -- Surveyors’ Office, Cleveland buildings, Cleveland street; Surveyors, Capt. William C. Johnson and Capt. James N. Armit; John Beresford, constable
 
Census Data
1891 England Census John Beresford in his own household at 11 Gloucester Street, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
       John Beresford  Head    M  46  B.T. Tapeholder Slatman    Durham, Durham
       Mary Ann Do      Wife     M  44                                              Essex, Shoeburyness
       Amelia A  Do      Daur     S   19  Cashier                               Durham, Durham
       Minnie K  Do      Daur     S   16  Cashier                                   Do    , Langley Moor
       Ada M      Do      Daur          13                                                 Do     , Sunderland
       William A Do      Son            12  Scholar                                    Do    , Langley Moor
       Thomas K Do     Son            10     Do                                       Do     , Sunderland
       Albert E    Do     Son             5      Do                                    Yorkshire, Middlesbrough
       Adela V    Do      Daur           4      Do                                         Do      ,         Do
       Robert B Hayes  Visitor  S   29  Dramatic Artist                     Ireland
[Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 4009; Folio: 17; Page: 28; GSU roll 6099119]

1901 England Census John Beresford in his own household at 80 Granville Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire                
       John Beresford  Head  M  56  Retired Seaman         Durham, Durham                
       Mary Ann    Do   Wife   M  54                                    Essex, Shoebury.                
       William A    Do   Son     S  22  Clerk Correspondence in Wellington Steel Foundry                                                                                                 Durham, Brandon                
       Thomas K    Do   Son   S  20  Apprentice Mechanical Engineer       
                                                                                               Do   , Sunderland                
       Albert E       Do   Son        15  Apprentice Marine Draughtsman                                                                                                                               Yorks, Middlesbrough                
       Ada D          Do   Daur     14                                           Do   ,      Do
[Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 4581; Folio: 99; Page:35]

1911 England Census John Beresford in his own household at 19 Upton Street, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire                
       John Beresford         Head  66  Married  44  10  8  2 
                                                  Mariner  Rigger Iron Works Blast Furnace  
                                                                    Parish St. Margarets, City of Durham                
       Mary Ann Beresford  Wife  64  
                                                  Wife                                         
                                                                     Shoeburyness
[Source Citation Class: RG:14; Piece: 29259]

In 1911, John and Mary Ann had been married almost 44 years, and the census records that in 1911 eight of their ten children were still alive. The previous census returns enumerate nine children, while a tenth must have been born and died between censuses, thus escaping enumeration. Inspection of the Birth Index reveals Mary Ann K Beresford born 1872 and died 1874, 1 year old. The third quarter of 1874 must have been difficult for them since Rosetta Eveline also died aged 4. The BMD Death Index has Mary Ann K Beresford Sep 1874 Durham 10a 263 age:1 and Rosetta Eveline Beresford Durham 10a 267 age:4, that is, only a few pages apart in the register. I suspect they both died of the same infectious disease within a few days of each other. At the same time, they had a three- and a six-year-old at home.

Here is a list of their children, and their years of birth, death, and spouses' names:
       Ann Elizabeth Beresford           1868-1938             (Joshua Naylor Hemingway)
       Rosetta Eveline Beresford         1870-1874
       Amelia Augusta Beresford         1871-1959             (John "Jack" Tilley)
       Mary Ann K[ennett?] Beresford 1872-1874
       Minnie Kennett Beresford          1874-1956             (unmarried)
       Ada Matilda Beresford               1876-1964             (John William Dalkin)
       William Adolphus Beresford       1879-1965            (Lilian Mabel Edwards)
       Thomas Kennett Beresford         1880-1950            (Delia Meehan)
       Albert Edward Beresford            1885-?                   (Edith Barker)
       Adela Victoria Beresford            1887-1969             (George Cecil Cox)

Death
BMD Death Index John Beresford Jun 1912 Stockton 10a 71 age:67

GRO Copy (as reported by Duncan Brown)
       "JOHN BERESFORD death certificate JUNE QUARTER Stockton 10A 71: 
       died 3 MAY 1912, at 5 The Green, Norton, Stockton, county of Durham, 
       aged 67 years of acute pneumonia syncope. JOHN's occupation was 
       MASTER MARINER MERCHANT SERVICE. Informant was his daughter 
       A.E. HEMINGWAY, present at his death. Her address was 41 Chester road, 
       Sunderland."


It is easy to see how all the above records are for the same John Beresford. There is the Beresford-Kennett marriage. The in-laws are present for the 1871 census (and earlier censuses confirm that William Kennett of Monkton, Kent was a Coast Guard, and that he and his wife had a daughter Amelia in Shoeburyness), and the next census records are held together by names and places of birth.

From the above documentation, John Beresford would have been born in St. Margaret's, Durham about 1845. And there is a birth registration for one John Berresford at the correct time and place. Others have come across this before me, and I first posted on this two years ago. Subsequent experience of genealogy has served to make this origin all the more plausible to me. The discrepancies in spelling and age are actually insignificant as we will see.

Birth
BMD Birth Index John Beresford Jun 1845 Durham 24 104

GRO Copy
       When and where born:          Eighteenth of May 1845
                                                      at the Union Workhouse Crossgate Durham
       Name (if any):                       John                    
       Sex:                                       Boy
       Name and surname of father: [left blank]
       Name, surname and maiden surname of mother:
                                                      Elizabeth Berresford
       Occupation of father:             [left blank]
       Signature, description and residence of informant:
                                                      The mark of Elizabeth x Berresford Mother
                                                      Union Workhouse Crossgate Durham
       When registered:                   Twelfth of June 1845
        Signature of registrar:           Thomas Clamp, Registrar

Census data
Searching the 1861 England census for John Beresford born about 1845 in Durham, I found this one:
1861 England Census John Barresford in the household of William Fagan at Claypath, St. Nicholas, Durham, Durham.
       William Fagan    Head   Mar  47  Scavenger                   Ireland
       Elizabeth Fagan  Wife   Mar  37                                      Durham, Tanfield
       John Barresford  Stepson       15  Painter's Apprentice   City of Durham, St. Margaret's

[Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 3743; Folio: 57; Page: 23; GSU roll: 543180]

In 1851 the same family unit with alternate spelling is found here:
1851 England Census John Barrowford in the household of William Faigan at Framwell Gate, St. Oswald, Durham, Durham.
       William Faigan   Head   Mar  40  Labourer & Mason     London
       Elizth      Do       Wife    Mar 28                                       Durham, Tanfield
       John Barrowford                     5  Scholar                              Do    , St Margrets
[Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 2390; Folio: 195; Page: 25; GSU roll: 87068]

There is also a marriage index entry 1849 for Elizabeth Beresford and William Fagan.
       BMD Marriage Index Dec 1849 Durham 24 120

GRO Copy
       Marriage Solemnized at the Register Office in Durham in the County of Durham.
       When Married:                          Oct 27 1849
       Name and Surname:                 William Fagan
                                                         Elizabeth Beresford
       Age:                                           36
                                                         25
       Condition:                                  Bachelor
                                                         Spinster
       Rank or Profession:                   Labourer
                                                         [left blank]
       Residence at time of marriage: Framwell Gate Durham
                                                        No 50 Framwell Gate Durham
       Father's name and surname:    James Fagan
                                                        Stephen Beresford
       Rank or Profession of Father:   Labourer
                                                        Pitman
       Married in the Register Office by Superintendant Registrar Certificate by me,
           
       This Marriage was solemnized between us,
              X the mark of William Fagan
              X the mark of Elizabeth Beresford
       in the Presence of us,
              Cathrine Caldcleugh
              Thomas Burns

William and Elizabeth are still alive to be enumerated in the 1871 England Census at Claypath, St. Nicholas, Durham, Durham:
       William Fagan     Head   Mar  70  Scavenger       Ireland, Westmeath
       Elizabeth  Fagan Wife    Mar  49                          Durham, Tanfield

After this, I do not have further records for Elizabeth, but it would appear from the Death Index that William Fagan died in 1875, based on his name, age and location.
       BMD Death Index William Fagan Dec1875 Durham 10a 216 age:70

It's possible that a marriage between Elizabeth Fagan and John Taylor in Durham Sep 1876 is hers.

The "London" birthplace for William Faigan of the 1851 census is probably incorrect, and Westmeath, Ireland correct. His year of birth varies between 1800 and 1814, his age inflating toward the end of his life. With a much younger wife, he may have deliberately underplayed his age, so perhaps 1801-1805 is more realistic. For two censuses he worked as a Scavenger in Durham, which was presumably his steady occupation in the 1860s.

There are spelling errors/variants, but there is enough consistency in the information to see these earlier (1845-1861) documents (and the 1871 census for William and Elizabeth) as belonging to the same family. The sequence of events shows that Elizabeth Beresford gave birth to a John out of wedlock. She later married William Fagan, but the boy retained his last name. John's surname has been rendered: Berresford (1845 birth certificate), Beresford (his mother's 1849 marriage certificate), Barrowford (1851 census), and Barresford (1861 census).

I am also sure that these documents describe the same John Beresford as the later ones. The following tables show the consistency for place of birth and date of birth for the documents. First, place of birth:
       1845 Birth Certificate: Crossgate Union Workhouse
                               [in St. Margaret's, Durham]
       1851 Census:  Durham, St, Margrets
       1861 Census:  Durham, St. Margaret's
       1871 Census:  Durham City
       1881 Census:  Durham City
       1891 Census:  Durham, Durham
       1901 Census:  Durham, Durham
       1911 Census:  Parish of St. Margaret's City of Durham

The places of birth for these documents are all consistent at the city level, plus the place of birth given on the 1911 census matches the first three documents down to the parish level.

Next, age:
       1845 Birth Certificate gives date of birth 18 May 1845
       1851 Census on 30 Mar 1851     age given: 5     should be: 5
       1861 Census on 7 Apr 1861        age given: 15   should be: 15
       Marriage Certificate 2 Oct 1867   age given: 22   should be 22
       1871 Census on 2 Apr 1871        age given: 25   should be 25
       1881 Census on 3 Apr 1881        age given: 36   should be: 35
       1891 Census on 5 Apr 1891       age given: 46    should be: 45
       1901 Census on 31 March 1901 age given: 56   should be: 55
       1911 Census on 2 Apr 1911       age given: 66   should be: 65
       Death Registration 3 May 1912   age given: 67   should be: 66

John Beresford appears to gain an extra year between 1871 and 1881, Note his 1867 marriage and 1871 census records both match the putative prior records. A similar exercise with respect to his wife Mary Ann Kennett Beresford shows that she gains an extra year between 1881 and 1891.

I am convinced by the consistency among the documents that they all belong to the same person. If I'm wrong and the first three records belong to a different John Beresford/ Berresford/ Barresford/ Barrowford then he left no other documentation after 1861. He may have died unrecorded in further BMD or census documents (for example, by emigration). It would, of course, be an extraordinary coincidence that two John Ber(r)esfords were born at about the same time and place. In addition, it would be harder to explain the absence of documents prior to 1867 for our John Beresford. Over the last couple of years I must have searched for over a thousand post-1837 civil birth records and can recall only a couple of times being unable to find one. I have not given up on the possibility of finding irrefutable evidence connecting our John Beresford to the Fagans - William's death registration may be one place to look, or an independent source on our John Beresford's birthday. However, I do believe the evidence is strong enough already.

Stephen Beresford, Elizabeth's father, would be my step-4xgreat grandfather, and I'll have a little to say about him in another post. But there is a mystery to be solved. On his birth certificate, John Beresford has no father listed. On his marriage certificate John (presumably) gives his father as John Beresford, Attorney's Clerk. Now, I can understand that John would make up a father's name and occupation to avoid embarrassment. Why not Mariner or Labourer or Coalminer, an occupation common to the region? Attorney's Clerk sounds rather unusual and specific for a fictitious father. But I have a person of interest. And he is the topic of the next post.

Another Confectioner

Turner: Abergavenny Bridge Monmouthshire, clearing up after a showery day

The illustration for the previous post showed a landscape blighted by industrial progress, perhaps what Blake would have called "dark satanic mills", in this case in Welsh rather than English pastures. In the above painting by J. M. W. Turner, Abergavenny Bridge itself is dwarfed by mountains, while my eye is drawn to the glow of sunlight on damp air. For Turner light was an emanation of divine spirit; supposedly his last words were "the sun is God". My stepfather particularly appreciated Turner's paintings. It also turns out that his great grandmother hailed from Abergavenny. This illustration is thus doubly appropriate.

The previous post followed Llewellyn Tilley's parents. Today we turn to the parents and family of his wife, Elizabeth Vivian. However, definitive information has proved hard to come by, so this post shows potential records in need of confirmation if I'm to get any further than the name and occupation of Elizabeth's father.

Our first definitive clue comes from census returns for Llewellyn and Elizabeth's household, in which her place of birth is given as Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. For example, in the 1851 Wales Census, we find the happy couple at 6 Chapel Street, Tredegar:

       Llewellyn Tilley  Head  Mar  26  Grocer & General Shopkeeper  Wiltshire, Kingswood

       Elizabeth     do    Wife   Mar  22                                  Monmouthshire, Abergavenny

Looking for Vivian baptisms in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, familysearch.org yields the following England Births and Christenings 1538-1975:

       Mary Vivian  14 February 1824  John Vivian and Mary

       Elizabeth Vivian  23 June 1828  John Vivian and Mary

       James Vivian  1 March 1831  John Vivian and Mary

       Jane Vivian  8 May 1833  John Vivian and Mary

This Elizabeth, daughter of John and Mary Vivian appears to match the Elizabeth, wife of Llewellyn Tilley of the census returns in age and place of birth. And we have some siblings. But, unanswerable for me now, how many Vivians are there in Abergavenny at this time?

Next, and also definitive, comes their marriage registration (BMD Marriage Llewellyn Tilley and Elizabeth Vivian Dec1850 Abergavenny 26 29), presented in the previous post, and which I repeat here:

       19 October 1850 at Rhymney Church

       Groom: Llewellyn Tilley  Full Age  Bachelor  Shopkeeper  Rhymney

                         father: John Tilley Shopkeeper

       Bride: Elizabeth Vivian   Full Age  Spinster       Rhymney

                         father: John Vivian Confectioner

       signed: Llewellyn Tilley and Elizabeth Vivian

       witnessed: John Tilley and Eliza White

Like the baptisms, this gives her father's name as John Vivian, with the added information that by occupation he is a confectioner. Recall that Llewellyn Tilley establishes a Confectioner shop in Wotton-under-edge by 1871. This does narrow down the search; how many John Vivians are there in Abergavenny at this time?

Baker and confectioner often go together as occupations. Pigot's Trade Directory for 1830 shows a John Vivian, Baker on Tudor Street, Abergavenny. But, while John Watkins of Frogmore Street is listed as under Bakers and also under Confectioners, John Vivian is only listed under Bakers. This doesn't preclude the possibility that he becomes a confectioner later, but I have no evidence that he did.

Composite image from page elements in Pigot's Directory 1830

Searching ancestry.com for Vivian in Monmouthshire gives several possibilities, first among them, the 1841 Wales Census for the Parish of Aberystruth. The address looks like, "Garn Nach Nanty Glo Ironworks", a picture of which I posted in the previously:

       John Vivian  40  Baker  No[t born in Monmouthshire]
       Mary    do     35             N
       Mary    do     15             Y[es, born in Monmouthshire]
       Ann     do      14             Y
       Eliza    do      10             Y
       Jane     do       8              Y
       Alfred  do       5              Y

The names of the head of household and of his presumed wife, John Vivian and Mary, match the baptisms in Abergavenny. John's occupation in Aberystruth for the census in 1841 matches the John Vivian of Pigot's Directory in Abergavenny 1830. Mary (aged 15, presumably the daughter) and Jane of the census indeed match the baptisms. Not having an Abergavenny baptism for Alfred could be explained away by the family moving after Jane's baptism. Not having James in the census could be explained by his dying young (England and Wales Deaths and Burials has James Vivian buried at Abergavenny 16 March 1831 - no age is given but possibly he is the child baptized in Abergavenny on the 1st). Maybe Eliza of the census is really Elizabeth, in which case her age should have been 12 to match the baptism, instead of 10. As if all that explaining away isn't enough, where is Ann for the baptisms? Maybe they moved frequently?

Thus, I am not convinced that this census record refers to the same family as the Abergavenny baptisms. Nor am I sure that either the census or the baptisms belong to Llewellyn's in-laws. In the absence of indisputable contradictory data, I haven't ruled them out either, and I'm interested in finding more evidence. With the 1841 census in mind, I searched for more census data of Vivians from Abergavenny, hoping for more clues.

Ann Vivian of the census marries James Leah (BMD Marriage Sep1849 Crickhowell 26 400). I even found the certificate on a public member tree. They are married in Llanelli 5 August 1849, and resident in Brynmawr. Her father is John Vivian, Baker. In later censuses, brother Alfred Vivian is a member of their household. His place of birth is given as Brynmawr. I am certain that this line is associated with the 1841 census family.

BMD Marriages has Jane Vivian and David Davies Mar1851 Crickhowell 26 401, corresponding to familysearch.org result through Wales, Brecknockshire Parish Registers 1538-1912 in Llanelli 3 March 1851. I would suspect this is the Jane of the 1841 census. Given the registration district for these marriages, the following might be death records for the parents:
       John Vivian Mar1843 Crickhowell 26 263
       Mary Vivian Sep1847 Crickhowell 26 202

Not necessarily related to the 1841 census family, there is a John Vivian from Abergavenny in 1851, 1861 and 1871 census returns. Although I suspect these refer to one individual (only one John Vivian from Abergavenny in each of these censuses), his reported ages are inconsistent. Assuming he was born about 1820 his wife would be nearly 20 years his junior. This might explain why he significantly under-reports his age while she is alive.

In 1861 at 61 Morgan Street, Tredegar:
       John Vivian  Head  Mar  31  Confectioner & Baker  Monmouthshire, Abergavenny
       Ann      "      Wife      "     22                                       Cardiganshire, Treddol        
       Mary Owens Visitor  "     48                                                   "               "

In 1871 at 20, 5th Row,Tredegar:
       John Vivian  Head    M  40  Baker      Abergavenny, Mon
       Ann       "      Wife     M  30                           "              "
       Edwin Price  Lodger S  42  Fitter       Sirhowy, Mon
       Mary Vivian  Daur     S   9  Scholar    Tredegar, Mon
       Jane Vivian   Daur    S   7     "                  "          "

In 1881 at Carno Street Back Houses:
       John Vivian        Head  Wdr  59  Baker & Confectioner  Abergavenny, Mon
       Mary Ann Vivian Daur Unm  19  Dressmaker                Tredegar, Mon

The unifying information is his occupation of Baker and Confectioner. Possibly he is an older son of the John Vivian of the 1841 census. If so, I haven't found a baptism, or any other evidence of a link between the two.

In partial answer to the question of how many John Vivians, I have found two more who of that name appear in the valleys. Living not far from Hester Tilley at 41 Charles Street, Tredegar 1851, is John Vivian, Grocer, born about 1822 in Haselbury Bryan, Dorset (at No.44). According to ancestry.com public member trees, his father would appear to be the grandly-named Dioclesian Vivian, and so not a brother to our Elizabeth.

Then, googling for John Vivian, I found one of that name who died in an accident in Tredegar 27 November 1838, obviously not our John Vivian, who was alive in 1841. However, this John, born 1797, was the son of Charles Vivian of a branch of the family from Camborne, Cornwall, who had moved to Neath, Glamorganshire. Inspecting trees of this family, I see that a brother of Charles, Roger Vivian also named a son John, born 1799. There is no more information about him, but he would be the correct age for the John of the 1841 census...

Still, there are several Vivian lines and many John Vivians in various parts of the country. The Industrial Revolution in South Wales attracted people from all over, so I am still none the wiser over the identity of Elizabeth Vivian's parents. All I know for sure is that her father is John Vivian , Confectioner who spent enough time in the valleys for Elizabeth to be born in Abergavenny about 1828. On the origins of this family I am waiting for more light to shine.